This bill raises the minimum hourly wage to varying amounts throughout the State and provides for certain other increases. Specifically, the bill provides that every employer must pay to each of its employees wages at an hourly rate of not less than: (1) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, $9.75; (2) From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, $10.25; (3) From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, $10.75; (4) From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, $11.25; (5) From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, $12; (6) From January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, $12.75; (7) From January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, $13.50; and (8) After December 31, 2023, at a rate adjusted annually for inflation. The bill provides that every employer must pay to each of its employees located within a low unemployment county wages at an hourly rate of not less than: (1) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, $9.75; (2) From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, $11.25; (3) From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, $12; (4) From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, $12.50; (5) From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, $13.25; (6) From January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, $14; (7) From January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, $14.75; and (8) After December 31, 2023, no less than $1.25 per hour more than the minimum wage that is paid in counties that do not have high or low unemployment. The bill provides that every employer must pay to each of its employees located within a high unemployment county wages at an hourly rate of not less than: (1) From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017, $9.50; (2) From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, $10; (3) From January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019, $10.50; (4) From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, $11; (5) From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, $11.50; (6) From January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, $12; (7) From January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, $12.50; and (8) After December 31, 2023, no less than $1 per hour less than the minimum wage that is paid in counties that do not have high or low unemployment. The bill incorporates language from Article I, paragraph 23 of the State Constitution which provides for annual increases in each of the minimum wages to correspond to increases in the consumer price index for all urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) as calculated by the federal government. As used in the bill, "high unemployment county" means any county with greater than six percent unemployment, and "low unemployment county" means any county with less than five percent unemployment, as calculated by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the 12 months prior to the September 30 preceding the next January 1.